Meet Tanzania's People

Tanzania is rich in nations. More than 160 tribes live here, 12 of which are the most numerous and form about half of the population of the whole country. A large number of tribes in Tanzania turned out to be a favorable condition for establishing an effective balance of power since none of the ethnic groups is large enough to prevail over others. That is why Tanzania has suffered much less from ethnic conflicts than other African countries.

Most Tanzania tribes have come to terms with the advent of civilization and try to enjoy its benefits as much as possible. The tribes and cultures of Tanzania are as fascinating as the wildlife and breathtaking landscapes that the country is popularly known for. Even more interesting is that Tanzania is home to more than 120 tribes, all with their distinct traditions and customs. Naturally, the best way to learn about these new cultures and gain a deeper appreciation for their diversity is to include a visit to these tribes in your itinerary. Here are a few notable tribes in Tanzania you should consider getting to know on your Tanzania safari tour:

The most famous African tribe – the Masai, a nomadic people, still preserves the traditional way of life.

THE MAASAI

Estimated population: 800,000

Maasai (not Masai) is the correct spelling of this noble tribe: it means people are speaking maa. Masai was the incorrect spelling of the British settlers and has remained in current use. The Maasai have always been unique. Their bright red robes set them apart visually. Spear in hand, they are calm and courageous regardless of the danger.

This indigenous ethnic group of semi-nomadic people, the Maasai Tribe, settled in northern Tanzania and Kenya due to their distinct traditions, regalia, and culture. With the proximity of their residence to many East African national parks, the Maasai are among the most well-known tribes in the world. With a population of over 800,000, the Maasai, according to oral tradition, originated north of Lake Turkana (north-west Kenya) and arrived in central Tanzania and northern Kenya during the 17th and 18th centuries. Their language, Maa, was derived from Nilo-Saharan, related to Dinka and Nuer, but many also speak the official languages of Tanzania and Kenya (Swahili and English).

Maasai culture is centered around the belief that God (called Engai, or Enkai, in the tribe's Maa language) created cattle especially for them, and they are the custodians of all the world's cattle. For Maasai, life revolves around amassing and grazing large herds of cows (and, to a lesser extent, goats). As well as being the tribe's primary income source (livestock are traded for other products or cash), cows also play an important role in Maasai communal life. Families and clans establish alliances through the exchange of cattle, and consuming the meat and milk of cows are considered a sacred act that binds them to their creator.

Among the many singing and dancing ceremonies practiced by the Maasai, the best-known is, without doubt, the adamu, or jumping dance. In this ritual, young Maasai men gather in a semicircle while rhythmically chanting in unison; then, each takes a turn stepping in front of the group and jumping several times straight up in the air, as high as he can. The adamu (usually accompanied by high-energy whoops, and carefully observed by Maasai women standing nearby) functions as a show of strength for young Maasai warriors hoping to attract wives. African safari travelers are often thrilled by the display, and some even attempt the jumping dance themselves. Very few can approach the heights reached by the warriors, though; they have been practicing since childhood.

THE HADZABE

Estimated population: less than 2000

Location: They settle around Lake Eyasi

The Hadza tribe is an indigenous semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer group that resides around Lake Eyasi in the central Rift Valley and the neighboring Serengeti Plateau. They are said to be the descendants of Tanzania's aboriginal hunter-gatherer population, and they have occupied their current territory for thousands of years.

Despite outside interference and attempts, over the last two centuries, to introduce agriculture and Christianity to the Hadza, the majority continue to live traditionally, without fixed abode, crops, calendars, or many belongings, as they live the life our distant ancestors once lived, all the way into the 21st century.

Various genetic studies have concluded that the tribe is not related genetically to any other people on earth, meaning they are extremely unique. Furthermore, their language is not connected to any other languages, even in the region, and they have mainly stayed within their community throughout the many generations. Their contact with outside parties, be them other tribes or foreigners, has been mostly hostile, which has resulted in their relative anonymity and their resistance to modern life thus far.

Living in groups of 20-30 people, except for in berry season, where multiple groups will join up in the hunt for berries, the Hadza people have no governing hierarchy with conflict mainly being solved personally or by the offending party moving to a different group, voluntarily. The communities practice cooperative child-raising with all members of the community looking after each other's children. Due to the nature of their way of life, the Hadza people migrate with the seasons to ensure they can obtain the best seasonal produce; therefore, they have little belongings and can set up shelters in just a few hours. In the dry season, they will often sleep beneath huge trees instead of setting up camp, and without calendars or watches, the Hadza keep time by observing the moon cycle. The Hadza men forage individually will look for honey, fruit (baobab is a favorite), and occasionally wild game. They will feed themselves throughout the day and bring the rest back to the camp to share out. On the other hand, the women tend to forage in groups and focus on picking wild berries. The community will adjust their diets to the availability of the season, and they have been described as highly skilled and opportunistic hunters.

The Hadza people have fascinated scientists and doctors who have discovered that they have a variety of rare health-promoting microbes in their bodies that are non-existent in the western world. The more microbes a person has, the more likely they are to avoid immune diseases and extend their life. Doctors are beginning to investigate what lessons we can learn and implement into our own lives from the health of the Hadza people. The Hadza, despite living an extremely traditional lifestyle, might be paving the way to a longer life for the rest of the world.

Tanzania is an unmissable destination for safari holidays and epic wildlife experiences, but if you are thinking of visiting, don't miss out on the unique culture and valuable life lessons that can be learned from the Hadza and other tribes of Tanzania.

THE DATOGA

Estimated population: 150-200 thousand

Location: Rift Valley of northern Tanzania

Dubbed as the Mang’ati in Swahili, the Datoga people are agro-pastoral nomadic Nilotic speaking people. They reside in the Singida and Manyara Region of north-central Tanzania near Mt. Hanang, Lake Basotu, and Lake Eyasi. They consider themselves the oldest tribe in Tanzania (other tribes like the Maasai and the Hadzabe also claim this fame). Their migratory history has been somewhat reconstructed by studying comparative linguistics and the oral tradition of the Datoga and its neighbors. They are said to be from South Sudan or Western Ethiopia highlands. As their ancestors gradually migrated southward, this resulted in settlements in the highland areas of Kenya and Tanzania by speakers of Nilotic languages, herding, and farming in the rich highlands by about AD 1500. An estimated 30,000 to 76,000 Datoga live in Tanzania.

The Datoga People are considered pastoralists, and they place incredible cultural meaning on cattle. However, the extent to which they rely on semi-nomadic herding strategies varies across the region. While some communities rely extensively on traditional practices and utilize primarily a milk-based diet, other communities rely on intensive agriculture.

They are characteristically known for keeping to themselves and are a tribe of proud people and fierce warriors known for their stealth ability. They are skillful and are also known for their blacksmith skills, beads works, brass bracelets, and necklaces while also supplying arrowheads to the Hadzabe tribe. The Datoga blend in with their environment through their reddish brown color soil outfit, reddish patched leather dresses, beadworks, bracelets, and necklaces. Another cultural identity and feature of theirs that distinguishes them from other tribes is their decorative tattooing around their eyes in circular patterns.

THE IRAQW

Estimated population: 350,000

Location: They are a tribe living in the central highlands of Mbulu, between Lake Manyara and Lake Eyasi.

Also known as the Wambulu by Swahili speakers, the Iraqw people are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. The Iraqw people have traditionally been viewed as the descendants of a Neolithic Afro-Asiatic peoples who have practiced plant and animal husbandry in the Great Lakes Region.

Their Ancestors are often credited with having constructed the sprawling Engaruka Complex in northern Tanzania. The Iraqw practice an intensive form of self-contained agriculture that resembles the ruins of stone-walled canals, furrows, and dams that are found at Engaruka. Maize is the staple crop of the Iraqw; it is supplemented with beans, sorghum, and millet (the latter two are used primarily for brewing beer). Other food crops are pumpkins, sweet potatoes, European potatoes, onions, and various legumes.

The Iraqw people speak the Iraqw language as a mother tongue and their population is estimated to be over 900,000. Although Iraqw is not an endangered language, due to the minimal use of it in writing and the increasing importance of other languages as the country develops, it may be a future that is looming ahead. The traditional culture of the Iraqw has a rich oral literature. Historically, the Iraqw have been seen as outsiders from other peoples within Tanzania, and a large part of their songs and poetry are about living in peace with their neighbors.

Gender and age are the bases for the Iraqw division of labor. On the Iraqw homestead, women sow the fields and harvest the crops, although men may assist if there is a shortage of labor. Hoeing, weeding, and threshing of sorghum and wheat are men's tasks. Young girls are responsible for taking the livestock out of the house in the morning, collecting the night's manure, and spreading it in the sun to dry. Children and married women take care of the calves and the wounded cattle, goats, and sheep; the young, unmarried men are responsible for herding. Women cook, keep house, and care for the children. They collect firewood, draw water, milk the cows, and plaster the house walls. Polygyny is accepted, but very few men have more than one wife in Iraqw society.

The Chagga Tribe

Estimated population: 2 million

Location: They live on the southern and eastern slopes of Kilimanjaro

Culture:

The people of Chagga are the third largest tribe in Tanzania. Most people in Chagga are Christians, some are Sunni Muslims, and some adhere to traditional beliefs and they all live side by side successfully. 

Their main occupations are manual terraced farming and cattle breeding. Food - bananas, milk, meat.

If you want, you can visit this tribe to be introduced to everyday life and tour the village. Naturally, this will not be free, but the experience is worth it. If you visit here, try a famous chaga drink – banana beer!

The Sukuma Tribe

Estimated population: 5.5 million

Location: Sukuma is the largest tribal group in Tanzania, which is located in the north-west of the country, south of Lake Victoria

Culture: 

Most of them follow traditional beliefs and some of them are Christians. The traditional occupation is manual farming and cattle breeding. Clothes are bedspreads made of leather or bast.

Sukuma is notable for their unusual clothes – such leather or bast capes are not found in other tribes. They reached unprecedented heights in manufacturing both of these materials. At first glance, the bast is difficult to distinguish from a rough fabric.

The Makonde Tribe

Estimated population: 1,140,000

Location: They live in the southern region of the state, between two rivers (Lukuledi and Ruvuma)

Culture:

Makonde is one of Tanzania’s five main tribes. They are famous for their wood carving skills. The tribe is very conservative and their people reverently preserve their culture, traditional customs, territory and lifestyle. 

The Nyamwezi Tribe

Estimated population: 1.5 million

Location: in the west of the country near the Tabor region. 

Culture:

The Nyamwezi who are also called "people of the moon" used to be the largest and most powerful tribe. They opposed the Arab invader in 1880s, encroaching on the lands of Tanzania. Currently, they are the second-largest tribe.

The Ha Tribe

Estimated population: one of the largest groups with a population between 1 and 1.5 million.

Location: Ha is a tribe in western Tanzania between the lakes of Tanganyika and Victoria.

Culture:

Ha is considered to be more quiet, peaceful comparing to Nyamzwezi and they are still engaged in the production of a unique drink - banana beer. It is considered ceremonial and has a sacred meaning. Their traditional clothing id made from plant fibers and skins. They eat porridge from millet and cassava, and some vegetables. 

The Haya Tribe

Estimated population: they are the fourth-largest ethnic group with more than 1.2 million people.

Location: They are based in northwestern Tanzania, in Kagera Region.

Culture:

Haya the main occupation of which is the cultivation of coffee and tea for export. People Haya well adapted to modern realities. Inhabited near Lake Victoria, they grow coffee and tea. These goods are exported, helping the tribe stay afloat.

The Barabaig Tribe

Estimated population: 50,000.

Location: the surroundings of Mount Hanang, the nearest settlement is the village of Katesh

Culture:

The Nilotic people of Barabaig are one of the kindest and most peaceful on the entire ethnic map of Tanzania. In addition, they are incredibly hospitable and friendly to all visitorsю

In general, the Barabaig lead a quiet, semi-nomadic lifestyle, live according to the lunar calendar, worship deities of nature, practice female circumcision rituals and polygamy. From the cultural point of view, Barabaig are interesting for their dances and the special art of making goat skins. By the way, when visiting Barabaig, you should definitely try honey beer, which although it is not prepared in the most sanitary way but has a really memorable taste.

Unfortunately, today the number of Barabaig is gradually decreasing under pressure from larger tribes on one hand and industrialization on the other. They are trying to fight for their rights by appealing to the government of Tanzania with a call to protect the territory of their residence from encroachments of civilization, but these attempts have not yet been very successful.

TANZANIA’S PEOPLE AND CULTURE

It is always very easy to stick to what we know rather than trying to meet new people who are completely different from you. But by trying to understand and embrace cultural differences, we can open ourselves up to a new world of exciting possibilities and experiences.

For instance, trying out the local food and taking cooking classes are great ways to better understand another culture. Interacting with Tanzanian locals during your trip or simply going out to explore your surroundings without an itinerary is also a fantastic way to gain insight into a new culture.

Feel free to visit the Cultural Heritage Center to learn about the region’s rich history, learn the basics of the Swahili language, and read up a little about the tribes and country you intend to visit to have a better understanding of its people and culture.

At the end of the day, travel is a lot more than visiting a new place and taking photos for your Instagram page; it's about having a transformative experience, immersive yourself in other cultures, finding yourself in the process and making a lasting impact. Authentic, cultural experiences is what we’re all about at Urth Expedition.